Should You Refinish or Replace Original Hardwood in an Older Prairie Village or Shawnee Home?

Prairie Village's Cape Cods and ranches, platted starting in 1941 by developer J.C. Nichols, and Shawnee's mid-century homes built through the 1950s and 60s, share a common trait: a lot of them still have original oak strip flooring under carpet that was added sometime in the decades since. The question we get asked constantly is whether that floor is worth saving. In most cases, yes — original hardwood can typically be sanded and refinished multiple times over its life, and doing so runs a fraction of full replacement cost. The exceptions are boards with water damage through to the subfloor, or floors that have already been sanded down close to the tongue-and-groove joint from previous refinishes. A quick inspection during your refinishing estimate tells you which situation you're in before any commitment is made. If you're in Prairie Village or Shawnee and have never pulled up the carpet to check, it's worth a look before assuming replacement is the only option.